New Levels, New Devils

I started this year with a bang! Every weekend I went to Pro Rodeos in the breakaway during the first half of the season, I won some money. I was pumped for the season and had my sights set on Circuit Finals. It’s only my second year breakaway roping at the Pro rodeos and my first year doing it with two kids! Being successful at all in this new level felt great!

As the year went on, lots of life happened at home, in business, with vehicles, with horses, and my name started moving down in the standings. It got hard. Then, I heard the quote “new levels, new devils” and boy did I relate to that this year.

As we level up in life, no matter the age, new devils will get into our mind. We have to fight those bad boys off! Things outside the arena can start to creep into our performance. Friendships, horse changes, school, parents, growing, injuries, the list goes on. During those times, the devil will sneak in and do everything he can to wreck you.

The truth is, those things can downright SUCK! It's true. There is no sugar coating it. BUT, at the end of the day, they're things and they don't define us. How we react to them and keep moving forward through them is what defines who we are.

Some of the good things are….

• We are aren’t alone, he’s doing it to all of us

• We can fight him off

• We have God on our side

• Those challenges make us better in the long run!

When you have a new devil, FIGHT! Grit those teeth, clench those fists and fight (not physically, unless it's a pillow). Have grace for yourself & fight your way through to the other side. It’s okay to get frustrated for a few moments, then…

• shake it off

• review what happened

• praise yourself for what went right FIRST

• Find areas of improvement

• Execute a plan to make those improvements

ASK FOR HELP!

This year, I waited too long to ask for help. I missed 5 calves in a row at rodeos before I asked for help. That was 3 calves too long! After the second time, it was becoming a pattern and it should have asked for help!

The rodeo after asking for help, I caught!

In practice, I was able to fight through my mistakes and make some good runs again! I’m still fighting to correct my mistakes and I’m doing it with a smile.

I can do that, because I’ve learned to have grace for myself and my horses. I’ve learned that it’s part of the game and if you’re going to play it for long, you have to:

• Learn through it.

• Believe in your ability to work though it

• Have short term memory

• Always remember why you started… because you love it!

And lastly, remember, your parents are also learning along the way! Have grace for them too! They’re leveling up in their own ways!

Much love!